The Collected Letters, Volume 25

Dear Brother—I have sent the nice little Letter of Canada Jane forward to Dumfries; and I here return the other. A Note from Dumfries came along with it, which is also here. I sent Jean a Pamphlet by post last night, she seemed so impatient. I also started some speculation to her about getting a better House for Jenny in the
Troquier suburbs or some “nice place,” where one might have a furnished room, and run away to write “Latter-Day Pamphts” without some of the very sad accompaniments that attend them here! Which speculation I already perceive, this morning, not to be likely to hold water. However, Jean was instructed to take it only as a dream, and to do nothing practical without consulting me.— Out of this sad wearing whirlpool, if my health do not considerably
mend, I must get: but the place whitherward—is very difficult to fix on, and will hardly be in Dumfries I doubt.

The other evening, came that effigies1 of Dante's mask. Do you know anything about the authenticity of the mask itself? Here is the engraving to you,—yours by a better right than mine. The Alexander2 who makes me the gift is not well known to me; I have a dim remembrance of having had some letters from him formerly and
of having rather repelled them.— Today there is some foreboding of Sun getting thro' the mist: I design to get out and walk,
being good for nothing else.— — I am grieved indeed to hear of my good old Mother confined to bed. Oh take care of her, especially
in this wild weather! And tell me soon that she is in her usual way again. I feel what a mercy that is,—and that it cannot
last always with us! Has she plenty of Books to read? Books are easily sent now.— Blackie scrawls me a Letter (came last night);3 if the blue stamp will carry that too, you shall have it. Adieu: my love to all.

3. The letter from Prof. John Stuart Blackie, at Marischal College, was probably about the lost rectorial election, as one of
Blackie's students, James Donaldson, had supported TC; see TC to TAH, 22 Feb. Blackie supported TC's election as rector of Edinburgh Univ. in 1865.